Beadle's Dime Library No. 411: The White Crook — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

; » +% g< s a oN . ae ys elsewhere as they have suffered about here, there ought not to be many of them left at the end of this outbreak.” ‘‘ But they won’t,” retorted the guide, ‘‘ We have been in the luck of it, and the soldiers scarcely amount to shucks. The whites will suffer more than the reds in the count up, and you may bet your bottom dollar on that. Don’t worry about it any more, boys, but try to get some sleep while I keep watch.” ‘‘Why don’t you get some sleep, too?’ de- manded Mark, ‘* Because I want to know what is goimg on. If there are any Apaches anywhere near here, the racket down yonder has started them up, and they will come to see what’s the matter.” ‘* But they won’t be likely to find us up here,” insisted Mark. ‘¢ 7] want to watch for them a little while, any- how. Don’t give yourselves any more bother, but go to sleep if you can.” CHAPTER XI. A HOME IN THE HILLS. Tur young men coiled themselves up on the bare rock,and managed to get a fair sleep, in spite cf their bard bed. Before morning they discovered that the guide was snoozing there also; but he was astir as soon as the day broke, and they were quite willing to get up and stretch their aching limbs. Hark Sarpy reported that he had waited for the arrival of more Apaches until he became pretty sure that none would appear, and it was reasonablo to suppose that there were none in that vicinity. The three scrambled down the hill and sur- veyed the devastation that had been wrought by the dynamite | Most of the Apaches had been blown to pieces so suddenly and utterly that nothing was to be seen of them anywhere with the exception of bits of human limbs and fragments of human flesh that had been scattered in all directions. These shattered relics of mortality were en- countered in unexpected places as the party sur- veyed the scene, and were so sickening to look upon that they gladly withdrew from the spot. They were first able to notice, however, that one stalwart savage, though badly wounded, had not been kill by the explosion, and there was visible a wound in the region of his heart whick had doubtless been made by a knife- thrust, and which spoke of the care that Hark Sarpy had taken to leave no doubt of the re- sults of the night’s work. A search for weapons resulted in the dis- covery of one rifle ond one revolver, that were fit for use, together with the cartridge belts of the Apache who had been wounded. These weapons were of a late pattern and excellent quality, and were apparently nearly new. ‘‘T told you last night, boys,” said the guide, “that none of these Apaches must be allowed to leave this place, I don’t know but that ma have sounded rather murderous to you; but bad a reason for it, as I said, and the reason why Iwas determined on making a finish of them was that they were too near home,” ‘Too near homef’ repeated Mark, ‘' Too ** My home?” , ‘Do you mean to say that you have a home near this?” ‘*T do, indeed, and 1 am going to take you to it if you willgo with me You will be as safe there, | reckon, as you could be anywhere in these parts, and maybe it will surprise youa little, too.’ ; The young men were more than willing to go with him, not only because of the promised safety, but because of the curiosity he had ex- cited, and they followed him gladly. After a little cold and unsatisfactory break- fast, which scarcely served to break their fast, he led them up the pass, | It gradually narrowed and became steeper and more cult: but they pressed on vigor- ously and almost joyfully, fully believing that they would find better comfort at Hark Sarpy’s ‘home, Though their p was slow, they had traveted not airertiinat two hours when they were informed that they were near their destina- tion. - They had then reached the highest point of the pass, and could perceive that beyond them it trended downward with a descent that was steeper than the ascent had been. ‘**Come on, boys!” ordered the guide, as he dodged behind a point of rock where no exit from th- pass had been visible. They followed him, and found themselves in a narrow cut or break of the mountain, barel wide enough for two to walk abreast, and wit high walls of bare rock. | t the mouth of this ge was a deposit of sand and gravel, asif 1t was at times the bed of a mountain stream, and Hark examined this carefully. . ‘The horses are all right,” said he. ‘ Trust that mare of mine for knowing her business.” The young men erst what he meant when saw the tracks of horses in the sand, _ near what home?’ leading them into the passage, ———— ETE EE ——— TL he White Crook. After he had brought his friends to the bare a She acknowledged the introduction gracefully rock of the path, the guide went back and care- ; and with a smile. ** These are the two friends who were to come | fully blinded all tho tracks. * This holo looks safe enough,” said he: it can’t be made too safe, especially in such times as these, Come on, boys!” He led them up a pretty steep path to the top of a hill or ridge, where the narrow pass de- bouched upon a small level, thickly covered with pebbles and small bowlders, apparently of lava, so compact that even the hoofs of the horses had left no visiblo impression upon them. Crossing this level, the party found them- selves at the base of a cliff that towered up per- pendhomeay to the hight of perhaps a hundred eet, There seemed to be no way of surmounting this obstacle; but the guide soon pointed out a path, the foot of which, like the entrance to the narrow pass below, was partially concealed by a mass of rock, This path led up the side of tho cliff at a rather steep angie, and though nature doubtless had much to do with its formation, it was plain that it had been largely extended and improved by human hands. It was neither dangerous nor difficult to travel, though scarcely more than wide enough for one horse, and the guide merely cautioned his followers against slip ing or stumbling. Near the top of the cliff the path turned into the rock, through a narrow cut in which there were rude steps. Hark Sarpy and his friends had hardly en- tered this cut when there came a sharp hail from a, little distance above and beyond them, ‘Halt: Who goes there?” ‘* All right, Barney '” responded the guide, and in a few mements he led the young men out of i - cut, aud they found themselves on top of the cliff, The scene which there met their eyes so amazed them that for a little while they were incapable of any speech but muttered ejacula tions of wonder and delight. The top of the cliff was a level and quite ex- tensive plateau, covering a space of eight or ten acres. It was considera’17 longer than it was broad, stretching from north to south, and the path which they had followed reeched the top of the cliff near the southern end, The soil that covered this plateau was appar- ently very rich, as 1t supported in great profu sion the trees and shrubs and flowering plants peculiar to the region, together with some be- longing to mere northern latitudes, which thrived well at that elevation. All were growing luxuriantly, and seemed not only to be well cared for, but to have been cr- ranged with a view to tho picturesqueness of their appearance, A broad pan or road, covered with reddish ‘bbles, and bordered with plants and shrubs, ed between two rows of shady trees to a house at a little distance from the edge of the cliff, The house was so surrounded and ovefgrown by greenery, that it could only be judged from that point that it was built of stone and some- what in the manner of a fortification, At the head.of the path stood the man who had hailed the guide, He was tall, erect and soldier-like in his ap- pearance, and had an unmistakable Irish face, though there was not much of the brogue in his He seemed to be Gehl at seeing Hark Sarpy, who shook hands with him and greeted him cordially. . ‘* These are my two friends, Barney,” said the guide—‘' Mr, Stepney and Mr. Bunn. Gentle- men, this is Barney Driscoll, a good and true man, He used to be a soldier, but he don’t want that fact to be generally known, as he left the service without the consent of the authorities,” ‘*Glad you’ve all got here safe, sor,” observed Barney, as his face reddened a bit. ‘** Yes, we are safe and sound, All well here, Barney?’ ‘* Yis, sor, and Miss Hettie "li be powerful glad to see you.” The ex-soldier put a whistle to his mouth and sounded a shrill ° CHAPTER XIL BELLA VISTA THE BEAUTIFUL. HARK Sarpy led his friends up the graveled path, and they had not gone far when their amazement and delight were greatly increased. From the direction of the house, doubtless in answer to the whistle call, camo a girl who moved so swiftly and lightly that it would be pardonable to speak of ber as flying. This girl deserved to be called a young lady, as she was out of her teens, and was surely every inch a lady. In a few moments she was in the arms of the guide, hugging and kissing in a style that could not fail to arouse the envy of the young men. ‘<Tt’s all gn dear,” said Hark, gently extri- cating himself from her embrace. ‘‘I am safe and well, as you see. But you must remember that I have some friends here. Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Hester Sarpy. Hettie, this is Mr, Mark Stepney, and this is Mr, Jack Bunn.” ry’ SH. 4, . & — ‘** but | ’ . * ‘ . ‘. — Aa .* oe ~ cee / g ty of _ >, _* 7 ™ with you, father,” she said. This remark added to the amazement of Mark and Jack, who wondered by what sort of teleg- raphy the young lady bad been informed of their expected arrival, ‘* Beg your pardon, Miss Sarpy,” said the for- mer, ‘‘ but I wish you would kindly inform me how you knew that we were coming?” ‘Oh, thatis simple enough,” she merrily an- * swered. ‘* When Pepita, father’s favorite horse, came home leading two other horses, and we knew that they were white men’s horses, and their bridles were tied to the saddles just as he always ties Pepita’s when he sends her home, it was easy to guess that two friends were coming on with him.” ‘Then our horses are both here?” ‘* Safe and well cared for, and I am very glad to see you both, and I know that you must be fearfully hungry, and you will excuse me if I run away and see about geiting some dinner for rou. She did run away, as lightly as a bird flies, leaving the two young men to follow more leis- urely with her father, wondering at all they saw, bat especially at the fair vision that fled before them. ‘There is one seg boys,” observed vy; ‘* which you will do me a favor to remember while you are here. I wish you would not make any mention in my daughter’s hearing of the Apaches we have met, or of what happened to them. Shes proses that I have been away on business, but does not know what sort of business it is, and I don’t care to enlighten her. Though ber mother and brother were murdered by the Indians, and her sister was carried away, I fancy that she does not like to hear of the death even of her enemies, and I am careful not to speak of such matters before her.” The young men promised that they would make no allusion to such unpleasant subjects, and in a few minutes they resched the house. The bouse was a parallelogram in form, solid- ly built of stone, two stories in hight, with nar- row windows, a flat roof, and a low battlement along the edge of the roof. The s one of which it was made was discolcred by time, and theo structure generally had an an- Lique i “mag with modern improvements. ark Sarpy i ei to his guests that it had formerly been a M1 sion, the site being choscm for its safety against barbarian invasion. Since the zealous and self-sacrificing Jesuits deserted it, it had come into his possession, and he had modernized it mainly by altering the in- terior, adding some windows and providing if. wi'h verandas at the front and rear. The luxuriant growth of vines and other foli- age about it and upon 1t robbed 1t to a corsid- erable extent of the solid and severe appearance that it would oth rwise have presented. _ Hark Sarpy had bardly seated his guests on the porch of this pleasant residence when his daughter came out, bringing liquid refresh- ments. This was not the mezcal or the pulque of Mexico, as might have been expected with such surroundings, but the whi-ky that takes its name from the county of Bourbon in tue State of Kentucky. While the young men tasted the hquor, and conversed with their host, they could not help noticing a change that had come ever him. Since he cautioned them a ae mentioning } the subject of their Apache k ng have dismissed all that sort of thing from his mind.: He no longer ap to be Hark the Hater. Crafty, secret an arene, in it? pursuit of his sav prey, but a genial gentleman, pro- prietor of a fine eect Hontt Teote honored ests with the great ¥ and courtesy. O Festi r Sete soon came out to call them to dinner, and they followed her into a cool dining- room with a stone floor and but little fy acelll but where a table was beautifully ‘ with an appetizing repast, the quality being ex- cellent, though the variety was not great. There were antelo bread and butter, coffee of de- Lighetul aroma, and a delicious piece of pastry. t was evident that the ae lady had an assistant m the culinary department, as ber guests caught glimp es of a woman who appesr- ed to be of Indian di scent, though her garments — were such as white women wore. At t!e table they kad a good char ce to * take stock of’ Hester Sarpy, and it must be admit- ted that they went to the limit of propriety in ~ doing so, their glances wandering toward her a little too frequently. . ooking at. She was well worth | Tall and well formed, with fine features and an expression that combined intelligence with force of character, she was a de ided brunette, her hair hotness as black as. ber father’s, and her dark eyes large and expressive. Though her dress was a simple calico, it fitted | her admirably, and the grace with which it was ea it an air of distinction. the young men paid fue attention to the excellent meal before them, proving them- Eomicbooks Siew steaks, yams and white €oO - ~ P, ee ee =. * a 5 het ie » Oe arr a al